Two clueless Uscan users at same time lead to undetected stealing

[jjc927]

I was running the Uscan and of course there's people on it that have no idea what they're doing and will not bother to try. Unforunately for me, I had two of these people at the exact same time. One was this nice old woman who was patient and understood that I had to be able to help other customers and stand at the podium in addition to helping her. However, she pretty much ignored me when I tried to tell and show her how to scan items. She had a few things over the limit and was being quite particular about how she wanted things bagged.

The other woman on the other hand was a different story. She basically expected me to baby her through the entire thing. She asked me what the code for every single one of her produce items was and kept asking me where to scan the other items. Whenever I had to go help the other woman or someone else (there was also a guy having an issue with scanning this package of rolls that never scans and we always have to type in the upc code), she would start yelling out "Hello there!" to get my attention. Repeately. Then she had the nerve to say "can you please stand over here with me until I'm finished? Thank you."

While all this is going on, someone on the remaining register was able to scan their card, scan about $18.50 worth of items, scan a food stamps card but put in an incorrect pin, and then take said items and leave without paying. I did not even notice any of this because of these two helpless women and the man with the rolls. I only got to look at that register when I noticed on the podium screen that it was saying cancel order and when I asked the man standing there why he was cancelling he said that there was an order going on but the person went the other way (he pointed to the other side of the store so I was hoping that the customer just went to get something else). I saw on the card reader it said pin not accepted so I thought I could just put it in as credit and problem solved but then I saw on the podium screen that it said food stamps balance, and food stamps needs a pin. Ugh.

From this, I'm no longer going to baby someone through Uscan unless he/she is the only one using a machine. If other people are there they are just going to have to figure it out for themselves or follow my instructions.

[Teefies2]

Good for you! There's nothing I hate more than people who go to Uscan cause they think

"I'll get done faster"
"The cashier will do it for me"
Nobody watches this register so I can steal"

People!!!!! If you don't know how it works, go to a LIVE cashier!!!!!!!!! Really, all those cashiers standing around get paid to check you out, no lie!

[jerkface11]

People!!!!! If you don't know how it works, go to a LIVE cashier!!!!!!!!! Really, all those cashiers standing around get paid to check you out, no lie!

At Lowes yesterday they only had the self checkouts open. From the look of the normal registers they hadn't been used in some time.

[jiarby]

I hate the uscan machines..

I do not work for the store, so I do not want to perform the same services for free that your employees so (ringing up my order).

If they offered some percentage of a discount for using them... then we can talk. Anyone old like me remember the transition from full service gas to self serve gas?

Same thing I guess, but the self service gas was cheaper! THAT is why people used it.

[Merriweather]

I hate the uscan machines..

I do not work for the store, so I do not want to perform the same services for free that your employees so (ringing up my order).

If they offered some percentage of a discount for using them... then we can talk. Anyone old like me remember the transition from full service gas to self serve gas?

Same thing I guess, but the self service gas was cheaper! THAT is why people used it.

I'll use the self-scan if there are long lines and I have very little, otherwise, I agree, why do it myself? Most cashiers I know would rather be checking someone out than standing around being bored, and too many people using self-scan could put them out of a job.

And yep, I recall when self-serve gas meant cheaper. I had a great gas station I went to - self-serve so it was cheaper, they gave triple green stamps (one year I bought my whole family's Christmas gifts using green stamps. LOL), and to top it off, even though self-serve, they pumped the gas for the "ladies", so I still didn't have to do it myself. OK, it was sexist, I know, but back then, so little of the sexism actually was in my favour that I wasn't above taking full advantage

Of course, now I live in Oregon, so I still don't have to pump gas. And still pay less than they do down in California when they pump their own.

[Primer]

If the SCOs were kept up, and scanned halfway as well as the regular checkouts, I'd be more likely to use them more often. It seems every time I try, though, the darned things refuse to scan!

[Peppergirl]

This truly is an odd phenomenon, and one I see mentioned repeatedly here.

WHY do people persist in using the fucking U-scan if they don't know how?

This is, of course, assuming that there are 'real' check outs open and operating.


Do they not want to wait in line? Do they not know they're stupid? Are they simply sheep who line up after the first crowd they see?


Funny part is, at rush hour at the store I shop at, the U-scan area will regularly have a longer line than many of the cashier-operated express lanes. Yet people will stand there.

I just don't get it.

Being an attendant at a u-scan has GOT to be one of the most frustrating, thankless jobs in retail. I can't even imagine the level of stupidity and entitlement you likely deal with on every shift.

Edited to ask the OP: Did you catch a bunch of shit from your bosses about the non-paying customer? Definitely wasn't your fault, but sadly, I know so many managers give their emps a bunch of crap about stuff they have no control over.